Operation: Skilene
by PeaceBaby7
Summary: A set of Skilene-themed one-shots. None contain any mature content. Rated T for kissing in some chapters. Enjoy!
1. Guitar Lesson

**Author's Note:** I started on these a while ago, and have decided to finally publish them. Most of these shorts were inspired by a game on fanpop called "What would Skipper say (WWSS) Game" on pages 40-43. Thank you to 27Kowalski (on Fanpop), also known as SierraTangoEcho on deviantArt, for helping me with ideas and scenarios. Credit goes to her for the few drawings. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them. They are in no particular order, other than the sequence they were written. Please review!

PS, for those following my "Operation: Challenge," I have not given up on that. I have just had a lot on my plate lately. I hope to continue it soon, but I make no promises. These shorts do NOT have any rules like that set.

" **Guitar Lesson"**

 **November 2, 2013**

Marlene gently strummed various chords on her Spanish guitar. It was such a beautiful instrument, and her favorite by far. It seemed that her very heart and soul lived off the essence of the instrument — almost as if she would crumble into dust without it. As if each chord she played, her heart echoed. The Spanish guitar was perfect for any mood. It comforted her when she was sad, calmed her when angry, and relaxed her any other time.

"Hello, Marlene," Skipper called as he entered her cave.

Marlene set her guitar against the wall next to her. "Hey, Skipper. What are you doing here?" she asked, rising to her feet.

"Well, you've been a little quiet today and I just wanted to make sure everything was all right," Skipper explained.

"Oh, I'm fine. I've just been trying to teach myself a song on my Spanish guitar, but I'm not the best at playing by ear," Marlene replied.

Skipper came to a stop at her side. "You know, I know a little Spanish guitar," he told her with a smile. "I could teach you a song."

Marlene looked at him in disbelief. "Get out," she said with a smile.

"I'm serious! I spent _eight years_ hiding in the jungles of Mexico, dollface. I had to pass the time somehow," Skipper told her with a laugh.

Marlene cocked an eyebrow. "But Skipper, you don't even have fingers," she observed.

Skipper crossed his flippers. "Are you asking me to prove it?" he asked with a smile.

"Can you?" Marlene challenged.

"Hand over that guitar, sister," Skipper accepted. Marlene grabbed her guitar and handed it to him. Skipper held it across his chest and looked up in thought. "Let's see . . ." Then he nodded as he made a decision. "I believe this one is one of your favorites."

After gently strumming a few chords to tune the guitar, he started to play Enrique Guitaro's first hit single, _Starlight Serenade_. Marlene watched in amazement as his digitless flippers glided over the strings with such impossible grace that she was almost sure she was hallucinating. It was _beautiful_. Skipper was actually just as good as her in playing, if not better.

"Believe me now?" he asked with a smile as he continued to play.

"I'll admit, Skipper, you're pretty amazing," Marlene answered in astonishment. "So, you could really teach me that song? It really is one of my favorites," she asked somewhat bashfully.

Skipper pressed his flipper to the strings to stop their vibration and smiled. "Sure, why not?"

He handed the guitar back to Marlene and she held it at the ready, waiting for Skipper's instructions. "It's in the key of G-major. So —"

"Every F is sharp," Marlene finished for him with a smile. "For someone who spends his time leading a unit, I wouldn't think you'd care to learn much about music."

Skipper smiled. "Can't play guitar very well without knowing a little about what you're playing, dollface," he replied.

Marlene laughed. "Touché, touché," she said. "So, what do I play first?"

Skipper thought for a moment. "Well, how about you just follow my lead?" he suggested, standing himself behind her.

He flushed his flippers with her arms and positioned her left paw to the starting chord and guided her other paw against the strings, and the notes resounded beautifully. Skipper looked sideways to Marlene over her shoulder and she looked back to him. Their eyes locked and Marlene smiled coyly and turned her attention back to the guitar in her arms. Skipper smiled and repositioned her fingers for the next chord and strummed again with her right paw.

Moving a little more quickly and smoothly, he moved her paw up and down, back and forth along the fingerboard of the neck as Marlene found his rhythm and strummed without assistance. Without any form of communication aside from the tempo of the _Serenade_ , they became one with each other, and the Spanish guitar. Although it seemed to take forever to reach, the ending of the song came and the song concluded. After a moment of silence as the last few notes hung in the air, Skipper smiled and nudged her shoulders.

"I guess we do make a good team," he said.

Marlene smiled and locked eyes with him again. "Could you — show me again? I think —"

Skipper cut her off with a warm smile. "I don't need a reason, Marlene. I'll show you as many times as you'd like."

* * *

Find the drawing here at (remove spaces and dashes in c-o-m): sierratangoecho. deviantart. c-o-m /art/Skipper-And-Marlene-Playing-the-Guitar-414242697


	2. We Meet Again

" **We Meet Again"**

 **November 4, 2013**

"Skipper, remember last week when you couldn't remember where you laid your mug?" Kowalski asked, coming out of his lab with a small device.

"Yes, but I found it. What's your point?" Skipper answered.

"Well, Skipper, with this device, we'll never forget anything ever again! I call it, the Forget-Me-Not!" Kowalski replied, holding up a device that looked like a helmet.

"Kowalski, are you sure about this? What if it — I don't know — fries our minds or something?" Skipper asked skeptically.

"Skipper, it's perfectly safe! No explosions. Promise!" Kowalski insisted. "Want to try it?"

Skipper eyed the Forget-Me-Not warily. "Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this?" he asked.

Kowalski scoffed. "You'll be fine! Are you ready?"

Skipper sighed. "Fine. Let's get this over with," he said, taking the helmet and placing it on his head. "How do I turn it on?"

"I got it," Kowalski said, reaching forward and hitting a button on the Forget-Me-Not. A moment later, after some bleeps and whirs, Skipper sighed.

"I don't feel any different. I don't think it's working," he said.

"Just give it a minute, it'll work," Kowalski urged.

Before Skipper could respond, Marlene dropped through the hatch.

"Hey, guys! What . . . are you doing?" she asked, eyeing the device on Skipper's head.

Skipper reached up to the switch on the helmet. "Oh, it's just a —"

"No! Don't turn it —"

Before Kowalski could finish, Skipper flipped the switch and staggered forward into Rico and Private's grasp. With a shake of his head he pulled himself up and rubbed his eyes.

"— off," Kowalski finished, slapping his flipper to his forehead. "Skipper, are you all right?" he asked, pulling the helmet off Skipper's head.

Skipper looked at him blankly.

"Skipper?" Kowalski asked again.

"Who are you?" Skipper asked.

"Oh, good golly," Kowalski said as he started rubbing his temples. "I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead, I am _so_ dead. . . . He wasn't supposed to turn it off until it was done," he informed the others.

"Skipper, what's the last thing you remember?" Private asked his leader.

"I . . . I don't know," he answered. He flinched when he felt a paw gently grabbing his shoulder from behind.

"Skipper, you don't even remember me?" Marlene asked. Skipper shook his head as he turned to the voice.

"I don't think I can remember —"

He stopped mid-sentence upon his eyes meeting Marlene's, his beak still hanging open. He examined her head to toe before finishing.

"— anything. _Who_ are _you_?" he asked in incredulity.

Marlene cocked an eyebrow at his tone. "I'm — Marlene. You know me!" she insisted.

Skipper cocked an eyebrow with a smile. " _Au contraire_ , my femme fatale. Amnesia or no, I would most certainly remember a face as beautiful as yours," he said. The team's eyes widened and they exchanged a glance.

Marlene gulped slightly and backed into the table behind her, blushing fiercely beneath her fur. "Skipper . . .?" she said warily.

Skipper stepped forward and leaned against the table next to Marlene with his face inches from hers. "You know, I like the way your eyes glow when you're nervous. They're astonishing," he told her softly.

Marlene found herself forcing off a smile. Was she actually — _enjoying_ this kind of attention? — from _Skipper_?

"Don't fight it, dollface. Something tells me you have a gorgeous smile," Skipper told her with a grin. Marlene was unable to keep from her smile any longer and turned her head away.

"Skipper, this is unlike you," she said bashfully. Skipper gently lifted her chin so her eyes were once again locked with his.

"If this is unlike me, then I don't want to go back to the way I was," he told her.

Marlene laughed nervously and reluctantly pushed his flipper away, moving away from him.

"Okay! So, this was — interesting! I'll be — going. Let me know when, um, Skipper's back to normal, all right?" she said nervously as she backed toward the door.

Kowalski took a step toward her. "Marlene, I'm really sorry abou —"

"No! Don't be — oh!" Marlene backed into the door and started to feel for the knob. "Don't be sorry, Kowalski! I just have — something to take care of. Just let me know when he's — back to normal, 'kay?" She was about to leave, but first took a last glance at Skipper, who was still eyeing her with infatuation. Biting her lip to keep from smiling, she slipped through the door and pulled it shut behind her.

"Wow. Is she single?" Skipper asked his team.

Rico and Private exchanged a glance and Kowalski buried his face in his flippers.

"I am completely, indefinitely, and inevitably _dead_."

* * *

Find the drawing here at (remove spaces and dashes in c-o-m): sierratangoecho. deviantart. c-o-m /art/Skipper-And-Marlene-423553691


	3. Bad Timing

" **Bad Timing"**

 **December 03, 2013**

"Hey, Skipper! Where's the team?" Marlene asked as she entered the HQ.

Skipper shifted between cameras on his surveillance screen. "Oh, they're out doing some recon while I watch the cameras. Unfortunately, Christmas is a time for crime. So, we're cracking down until the holidays are over. What brings you here?" he replied.

"I was getting a little cold in my habitat and was hoping if it'd be cool if I stayed here until Alice bothered to turn up the heat," Marlene told him.

"Sure. In fact, I'll tell Private to head over to the central ventilating unit right now," Skipper said, picking up his walkie talkie. "Hey, Private. Alice forgot to turn on the central heating again. Pick up her slack?"

" _Aye, sir! On my way!"_ Private replied.

Marlene smiled. "Thanks, Skipper," she said.

"No problem, Marlene," Skipper said, shifting the views on the camera feeds. Marlene smiled and wrapped her arms around him from behind.

"I also had a good time last night," she told him.

Skipper turned into her embrace with a smile, fitting his flippers into the bends of her waist. "Yeah?"

"I did. And I believe we were in the middle of something before Kowalski interrupted us," Marlene prompted, amorously playing with the feathers on his chest and neck. Skipper cocked an eyebrow.

"I believe you're right," he agreed, pulling her closer and touching his forehead to hers. Gradually, he closed the distance between his beak and her lips. But before they met, the door opened across the HQ.

"Hey, Skipper, I need the —"

Private stopped short with his beak hanging open just as Skipper and Marlene jerked away from each other.

"— key," he finished awkwardly, "Oh, am I — interrupting something, sir?"

Skipper answered with "No" the same time Marlene answered with "Yes." Private looked between them and laughed nervously.

"Um, I'll just see if Rico has a key or something," he replied, avoiding eye contact and shutting the door behind him before they could reply.

Skipper and Marlene turned back to each other awkwardly. Then they both let out a slight laugh.

"Well, that happened," Skipper said with a boyish grin. He cleared his throat. "Where were we?"

Marlene gently bit her lip. "Not sure, refresh my memory?" she asked, blushing beneath her fur.

Skipper smiled and gently took her by the waist, and was happy to fill in the request.

* * *

Find the drawing here at (remove spaces and dashes in c-o-m): sierratangoecho. deviantart. c-o-m /art/Skilene-in-the-HQ-462435145


	4. Reflecting on Doubts

" **Reflecting On Doubts"**

 **December 29, 2013**

"Hidy-ho, Marlene! Sound off," Skipper called as he entered Marlene's cave.

"Right here, Skipper," Marlene called back.

Skipper found Marlene standing in front of her mirror with an uneasy look in her eye, smoothing back her fur and tracing over her cheekbones with her fingers.

"You've been cooped up in here all day. Is everything all right, Marlene?" Skipper asked, coming up behind her. Marlene kept her eyes on her complexion.

"Skipper, am I —" Marlene dropped her arms to her sides and took a breath. "Am I old?"

Skipper cracked a small smile. "Beg your pardon?"

" _Am_ I _old_?" Marlene repeated, crossing her arms and looking down.

Skipper playfully rolled his eyes. "Well, no. You're only —"

"Well, I feel old. And yesterday's 'date' with Fred confirms that," Marlene interrupted.

"Say what, now?" Skipper chuckled.

"I haven't been on a real date in a long time. And when I do, I actually try to convince myself that someone like Fred is the guy for me. Maybe you guys are right. Maybe I am getting lonely. Now I just feel like life is passing me by and I'm just going to die old and alone," Marlene explained.

Skipper's expression fell and he eyed her sympathetically. "Marlene, I can guarantee you that's never going to happen. And life isn't passing you by," he assured her.

Marlene laughed. "Ha, you're right. It's trying to run me over," she replied sluggishly.

Skipper sighed and braced his flippers on her shoulders and looked at her reflection. "Marlene, when I look into that mirror, you know what I see?" he asked.

Marlene half-heartedly glanced up. "Nothing much worth looking at, if you're referring to me," she answered. Skipper's expression hardened. Keeping one flipper braced on her shoulder, he wrapped the other around to her chin and brought her head up so her eyes would lock with her reflection's.

"I see a strong, kind, independent woman with a good head on her shoulders. Any man would be lucky to have someone like you, but none nearly as worthy. And I'm not going to stand by and watch you feel bad about yourself because you're the best thing that ever happened to —" Skipper stopped short and breathed deeply. "You'd be the best thing to ever happen to the man that wins your heart," he said firmly.

Marlene tried to hide her moist eyes. "But what man would ever want me?"

Skipper thought for a moment. "Any man who can see what I see," he told her.

Marlene couldn't stop a tear from creeping from the corner of her eye and rolling down her cheek. "You really mean that?"

Skipper smiled and wiped her tear away with his flipper. "I do."

Marlene turned away from the mirror and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Thank you, Skipper. You have no idea how much that means to me," she said against his chest.

Skipper wrapped his flippers around her waist. "No problem, Marlene."

— § —

 **Note: This takes place following** _ **Otter Things Have Happened**_ **.**

Find the drawing here at (remove spaces and dashes in c-o-m): sierratangoecho. deviantart. c-o-m /art/Skilene-Hug-462435656


	5. What Friends Are For

" **What Friends Are For"**

 **January 2, 2014**

"Hello, silly otter!" Julien called, striding up to Marlene, who was taking a walk through the zoo.

Marlene came to a stop and turned to him. "Hey, Julien," she replied. "What's up?"

"Oh, you know, the usual," Julien replied.

"So, kicking Mort, drinking smoothies, and ordering Maurice around?" Marlene teased.

"Oh, you know me so well, Marlene," Julien said with a smug smile.

Marlene rolled her eyes. "So, what exactly are you doing here?" she asked.

"I am just going to visit my four favorite penguins!" Julien replied with a dramatic smile.

"Mm-hm. And this 'visit' wouldn't have anything to do with that invention Kowalski's been keeping under wraps, would it?" Marlene asked suspiciously.

Julien laughed incredulously. "Marlene, that is the most preposterous-ness thing I have ever heard! Is it so hard to believe that I just want to see my four bestest friends? And you're pretty bestest too, you know," Julien said with a wink. Marlene crossed her arms.

"I'll believe that when I get transferred to Hollywood to star on television," she said sarcastically.

"Marlene!"

Marlene turned at the sound of Skipper's voice. He and Rico were coming their way.

"Did I just hear you say you're being transferred to _Hollywood_?! As in Hollywood, California?!" Skipper exclaimed in outrage.

"Well, yes, but —"

"Why was I not informed about this?!" Skipper asked Rico outrageously. "I'm going to need a crowbar, a payphone, a fake mustache, and Alice's forged signature. Go!" he ordered.

"Skipper!" Marlene cut in.

"What?" Skipper asked impatiently.

"If you had shown up about ten seconds sooner, you would have known that I was just being sarcastic when I said that," Marlene told him.

Skipper blinked. "Oh. Right. I knew that," he said with a clear of his throat.

"Sure you did," Marlene said with a laugh. "It is sweet that you'd look out for me like that, though. Thanks."

Skipper smiled. "What are friends for?"

"Well, for starters, they're for informing you when _certain people_ ," Marlene said, pointing to Julien, "are going to come try to play with secret unfinished inventions."

Skipper rolled his eyes. "Ringtail, I told you, Kowalski's inventions are typically unstable to begin with. I don't need _you_ to come over to make things worse," he warned.

Julien laughed. "What? I am having no idea what you are speaking of! I wasn't going to touch anything!" he insisted.

Skipper narrowed his eyes. "Sure. Rico!"

Upon command, Rico regurgitated a baseball bat and held it threateningly in Julien's direction. Julien laughed nervously.

"You know what? I think I left the, uh, blender on. I'd better go turn it off before it burns the ice cream. Know what I'm sayin'?" he said, backing away. Without waiting for a response, he turned and took off for his habitat.

Skipper, Rico, and Marlene laughed.

"Well, that was the highlight of my day," Marlene said.

"I second that," Skipper replied. "See you later, Marlene. And thanks for warning us. Things wouldn't have ended well if he'd have shown up."

Marlene smiled. "You said it yourself — that's what friends are for."

* * *

Find the drawing here at (remove spaces and dashes in c-o-m): sierratangoecho. deviantart. c-o-m /art/Julien-Marlene-and-Skipper-500224632


	6. I Remember

" **I Remember"**

 **January 3, 2014**

 **Note:** I've typically been writing notes at the end, but for this case, I must make an exception as to be clear to you, or at least the ones who haven't read my previous works. I have been thinking about doing a sequel to one of my stories, but never did because I didn't think I could make anything long and commendable out of it. But with this project, I received some inspiration and motivation to do so in a short story. So, this short is a little sequel to "Skipper's Curse." If you haven't read it before and plan to, be aware that this will contain spoilers. I hope you enjoy.

— § —

It had been a two months since Dr. Blowhole's last strike. Marlene had received a terrible blow to the head and couldn't remember much about it, but from what Skipper had told her, she didn't miss much. She was injected with a 'Serum' invented by Dr. Blowhole that put her in a trance to do whatever he told her. He ordered her to kill Skipper, but apparently, it just wore off before she got the chance. Marlene was grateful for that, but couldn't help but feel like there was something missing. . . .

In fact, she knew there was something Skipper wasn't telling her. Something he was holding back, but she couldn't figure out what it was or why he wouldn't tell her. She could see it in his eyes. Whenever the subject had come about, he became distant and tried to change the subject. But despite the fact that he'd been untruthful to her since it happened, Marlene felt somewhat of a — connection to Skipper. It seemed crazy, but in some weird way, she felt so much closer to Skipper since she'd woken up for reasons she couldn't explain.

Secretly, Marlene sought Kowalski's help to remember without Skipper's knowledge. Like the good friend he was, Kowalski made the effort to wake two hours before the others, grab a cup of coffee and head over to Marlene's to try and help her regain her memory two days a week. They'd gotten close — close enough to where Marlene could just see the memory beyond hazy vision, but she could never break the barrier.

It was frustrating, really. Why couldn't she remember? It seemed almost impossible. Some days she nearly pulled her fur out in her vexation.

Now, Marlene stood in the entrance of her cave, staring out at the sunrise after yet another unsuccessful session with Kowalski.

"I'm sorry we aren't getting anywhere, Marlene," Kowalski said as he prepared to leave.

"It's all right, Kowalski. It's not your fault. I just don't understand why I can't remember," Marlene replied.

Kowalski sighed and put a comforting flipper on her shoulder. "The mind is a puzzling thing. No one ever really understands much of why the mind does what it does. Maybe it's just that your mind is subconsciously waiting for the right moment to come to bring those memories back. Or maybe that part of your mind was just damaged beyond repair. It's not necessarily so that you'll never remember, but I'm afraid I can't guarantee that you will. I really am sorry. I wish there was more I could do for you," he told her.

"No, Kowalski, you've done more than enough. Thank you, really," Marlene assured him.

Kowalski smiled sympathetically and patted her shoulder. "I'll come back Friday morning."

Marlene shook her head. "Nah, don't bother. I'm done with this therapy stuff," she told him.

"Are you sure? I think with a little more time, we might—"

"No, Kowalski. I can live with not remembering," she told him. Although, she wasn't sure if she believed that even herself.

Kowalski sighed and nodded. "If you change your mind, you know where to find me," he told her. Then he turned and left her.

Marlene continued to watch the sunrise with a heavy heart for the next couple of hours.

For most of the morning, Marlene remained in her habitat. She'd given up on trying to remember and instead thought about ways she could get through living without that memory. _It's hopeless_ , she thought. _It's just a dumb memory. If it was really important, I'd remember. Right?_ She sighed and ran a paw over her face. _I would give anything to remember what Skipper said to me._

Marlene's brow furrowed and she sat up. Skipper? How did he . . . She suddenly remembered the flashback she'd been having, the blurred one she could never clear. That was Skipper's silhouette in front of her. She couldn't really make it out, but she somehow realized that it was him.

Finally, Marlene got what she'd been wanting for the past two months: an image. She saw Skipper in front of her, holding her by the waist. He said something, but she couldn't quite make it out and she concentrated harder. His voice barely broke through her memory.

" _I love you, Marlene."_

Now she knew it had to just be her mind playing a cruel trick on her. Surely, what she was seeing wasn't what happened. _That_ was impossible. Wasn't it? She'd known Skipper for a long time. She would know if he felt that way about her. Wouldn't she? Skipper was good at hiding how he felt about a lot of things, but would he be good enough to hide those kinds of feelings?

Marlene looked at the penguin habitat. There was only one way to find out.

"Skipper?" Marlene called as she climbed down their ladder.

"Right here, Marlene. Is everything okay?" Skipper replied, pouring a cup of coffee.

Marlene looked at the others. "Can I speak to you alone?" she asked.

Skipper's furrowed his brow. "Sure. Boys, do you mind?" he asked the team. They nodded and made their way for the hatch. Kowalski exchanged a glance with Marlene on his way out.

"What's on your mind, Marlene? You look kind of upset," Skipper said with a look of concern.

"Not _upset_ , really. More . . . confused," Marlene explained, leaning on the table next to him.

"About what?" Skipper asked.

"I think I finally remembered something," Marlene replied. Skipper stared blankly for a moment and set his mug on the counter, eyeing the fish inside it.

"Really. What, um, exactly did you remember?" he asked, not meeting her eye.

"Just part of when I — assaulted you," Marlene lied, trying to think of a way to coax the answer out of him.

"Well, what's confusing about it?" Skipper asked, still not meeting her eye.

Marlene studied him. "Skipper, is there something you haven't told me about that day?" she asked.

Skipper seemed to hesitate. "No, Marlene. I've told you everything," he insisted.

"Are you sure?" Marlene persisted.

Skipper nodded, but still would not look at her. "Yeah. I'm sure."

Marlene took a slow, deep breath. "Skipper, do you love me?" she asked finally.

Skipper raised his eyes from his mug to the wall across the room. For the next couple of minutes, neither of them said anything.

"What makes you say that?" Skipper replied at last.

"Just answer the question, Skipper," Marlene insisted.

Skipper continued to stare at the wall. "Yes," he answered in a weak voice.

Marlene blinked. What she saw was true? "All this time, why didn't you ever tell me?" she asked.

"I was trying to protect you," Skipper answered, finally turning his head to meet her eye.

"From what?"

"Marlene, you saw what Dr. Blowhole did to you just for being my friend. If he ever found out that I'm hopelessly in love with you, who knows what the psycho will do? I wasn't going to put you at that kind of risk," Skipper explained.

Marlene stared in disbelief. "Hopelessly?" she repeated. Skipper tightened his beak shut. "Isn't love all about taking risks, though?"

Skipper sighed. "It's not just about the risks, Marlene. You deserve better than me. Someone who doesn't have to run off on missions. Someone who can always be there for you. I can't guarantee that I'm going to be here every time you need me," he told her.

"Skipper, that doesn't mean we can't try to make it work," Marlene replied. She stepped closer. "Because when you love someone, you at least make an effort, right?"

Skipper looked to the floor beside them. "Why would you want to make an effort with me?" he asked slowly.

"Because I love you too, Skipper," Marlene replied. She wasn't sure how she didn't realize it before, but she couldn't deny that she felt the same way.

Skipper gradually rose his gaze to meet her eye again.

"And I think I'd like to know more about how I really snapped out of my trance," Marlene continued.

Skipper smiled slightly. "How 'bout I tell you this Friday at eight o'clock over dinner?" he suggested.

Marlene returned the smile. "It's a date."

* * *

Find the drawing at (remove spaces and dashes in c-o-m): sierratangoecho. deviantart. c-o-m /art/You-didn-t-see-anything-Ringtail-471361958


	7. What You Mean To Me

" **What You Mean To Me"**

 **January 26, 2014**

"I raise you all my herring," Marlene said, pushing her last four herring to the center of the table.

Skipper eyed her with a smile. "My, the stakes are getting high. I'll see your herring, and I'll raise you three salmon . . . and a kiss," he said with a sly smile.

Marlene gently bit her lip. "Full house," she said, setting down her three Kings and two Fours.

Skipper grinned and laid down his cards. "Straight Flush," he said triumphantly.

Marlene nodded and smiled. "I knew this game was rigged," she said playfully.

Skipper laughed and came to her side. "Don't worry, the game isn't rigged. It was only my cunning and decisive thinking that won me victory," he teased.

Marlene crossed her arms. "So, you're saying I'm not cunning or decisive?"

Skipper shook his head. "Oh, no, you're cunning and decisive. Just not as cunning and decisive as me," he said with a grin.

"I challenge that theory with a rematch," Marlene said confidently.

"All right. But you still owe me from this round," Skipper said, taking her by the waist.

Marlene smiled and rested her paws on his shoulders. "Now _that's_ a price I don't mind paying," she said before pulling him into a kiss.

Skipper held her tighter and gently pressed her against the table as the kiss deepened. Marlene sighed and ran her fingers through his feathers. The moment was breathtaking until they were pulled apart by a clamor behind them.

"Bossy Penguin! I have — oh, snap," Julien said as he dropped in the hatch and realized he'd become an interruption.

Skipper awkwardly pulled away and impatiently sighed. "What do you want, Ringtail?" he asked, lacking enthusiasm.

Julien laughed. "Never thought I'd say this, but forget what I want! You sly dog!" he said amusingly.

Skipper rolled his eyes. "Ringtail," he muttered irritably.

"So, how long has this been going on?" Julien asked with a sideways smile.

"Ringtail, not that it's any of your business, but we've been seeing each other for a couple of weeks now. And _this_ is the exact reason we've been keeping it on the QT," Skipper answered, crossing his flippers.

"That's great, but, I was talking about the kissing, my friend," Julien corrected with a laugh.

Skipper's eyes widened. "Get out of here!" he commanded.

"Oh, right, because you are needing the privacy. I will take a rain check on that answer," he said as he turned to go.

"Not happening!" Skipper called as Julien started up the ladder.

"Do not be getting too cozy!" Julien called back.

Skipper started after him, but Marlene grabbed his flipper to stop him.

"Don't worry about it, Skipper. He's not worth it," she told him.

"He's not, you are," Skipper blurted. Then his beak fell open and he laughed nervously. "You know, I-I mean —"

Marlene put her paw on his beak and smiled sheepishly.

"I think I know what you mean," she said as she pulled him closer and pressed her lips to his beak.

Skipper held her by the waist, pulled away just an inch, and spoke softly against her lips. "You'll never know just how much I mean that, Marlene."

* * *

Find the drawing here at (remove spaces and dashes in c-o-m): sierratangoecho. deviantart. c-o-m /art/You-didn-t-see-anything-Ringtail-471361958


	8. Jealous Much?

" **Jealous Much?"**

 **March 04, 2014**

"Hey, guys," Marlene started as she entered the penguin HQ, looking around. "Where's Kowalski?"

"In his lab," Skipper answered. "What brings you here?"

Marlene held up an abacus. "I believe I found Kowalski's abacus. I thought he'd want it back," she said.

"Oh, finally! He's been going crazy looking for that thing!" Skipper said. "Like I said, he's in his lab."

"He won't mind me walking in on him?" Marlene inquired with surprise.

"Nah, he's just working on the car," Skipper assured her. "You'll be fine."

With a nod, Marlene crossed over to his lab and pushed through the door, letting it swing shut behind her.

"Hey, Kowalski," she said, approaching him. He was laying back on a creeper under the car, reaching for a screwdriver on the ground near him.

Kowalski pulled himself from under the car upon hearing Marlene's voice and sat up. "Hello, Marlene. Oh! You found my abacus! Where was it?" he asked, noticing it in her paw and taking it from her.

"I found it in some of the brush in my habitat. I'm not even going to ask how it got there," she told him with a suspicious stare.

"Oh, well, thank you for returning it. I thought I'd lost it forever!" Kowalski said laying it down on the cart nearby that contained various tools.

"You're welcome. Oh, you've got some oil right here," Marlene said, picking up a cloth and wiping the feathers on his cheek. Although, in doing this, she inadvertently pushed him backward on the creeper. Without thinking, Kowalski grabbed Marlene's paw to stop himself and accidentally pulled her on top of him.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Marlene I didn't mean to —"

"Hey, Kowalski, have you seen the —"

Skipper stopped in the doorway with his beak hanging open in disbelief. "What in the name of Green Giant's veggies is going on here?!" he said, crossing over to them.

Marlene pushed herself up and shook her head. "Skipper, it isn't what it looks like! I tripped!" she explained.

"Tripped?! On what?" Skipper asked, gesturing to the trip-hazard-free floor in her area.

Marlene scratched her neck. "Well, not really a trip, Kowalski accidentally pulled me down —"

"So, now Kowalski _pulled_ you down?" Skipper asked, narrowing his eyes and putting his flippers on his hips.

"Not intentionally! Will you listen to me?!" Marlene protested.

"Oh, for Einstein's sake!" Kowalski said, getting to his feet. "She was just wiping some oil off my face and accidentally pushed me back on my creeper. I grabbed her arm without thinking to stop myself and she lost her balance. All right!"

Skipper relaxed a little bit and glanced between them. "Really?" he inquired.

"Yeah," Marlene said impatiently. "Why are you making such a big deal out of it, anyway?"

Skipper shifted his weight awkwardly. "Because. I need my unit focused. A relationship would distort that," he answered.

"What about Rico and Ms. Perky?" Marlene pointed out.

"You want to tell him to give her up?" Skipper asked, gesturing to the door.

Marlene held her paws up in surrender. "All right, you got me."

"What about Ms. Kitka?" Kowalski added.

Skipper hesitated.

"Wait, who's Ms. Kitka?" Marlene asked.

Skipper opened his beak to respond, but Kowalski cut him off.

"Skipper's old fling last year. I'm surprised you didn't hear about her," Kowalski answered.

Skipper broke in. "Well, Ms. Kitka proves my point in a lack of focus. End of discussion —"

"Wait, I want to know more about this. How come no one ever told me?" Marlene asked.

"It doesn't matter! Don't worry about it!" Skipper insisted.

Marlene held up a finger. "But —"

"No buts! Allow me to show you out," Skipper said, placing a flipper on her shoulder and pulling her to the door.

Marlene resisted. "Skipper, come on —!"

"Thanks for stopping by," he said as he lead her topside.

Once they were through the hatch, Marlene broke away and turned to him.

"All right, Skipper. What is the deal? First, you blow up when you misread a perfectly explainable situation, and now you're freaking out when I find out you had a 'fling'? I mean, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were —" She broke off and crossed her arms, eyeing him curiously.

"I'm what?" Skipper asked impatiently.

Marlene shrugged a shoulder and turned away slightly. "Jealous," she answered.

Skipper scoffed. "Jealous?" he repeated with an incredulous laugh. "And what could possibly give you that idea?"

"Gee, let me think. Blowing up at the thought of me and Kowalski in a relationship?" Marlene pointed out.

"I don't know if I'd call it 'blowing up' . . ." Skipper said unconvincingly.

"I would," Marlene replied with a smirk.

Skipper narrowed his eyes. "I think we're done here," he said, starting down the hatch.

"That's what you think!" Marlene called after just as the hatch closed. With a chuckle, she returned to her habitat.


	9. First Impressions

" **First Impressions"**

 **April 19, 2014**

"How's it lookin' on connecting to the camera feeds, Kowalski?" Skipper asked his lieutenant.

"Just fine, Skipper. Just a few more minutes," Kowalski answered. "I have to say, the HQ is in pretty good shape for not being used in a number of years. Things are coming together nicely, and we've only been back for a week."

"I concur. You got those light fixtures, Rico?" Skipper asked, looking up at Rico on his ladder, fixing a light to the ceiling.

"Uh-huh!" he grunted.

"Sir!" Private said, dropping into the HQ and running to him. "I have a report!"

"What is it, Private? And why the rush?" Skipper asked.

"It's the neighbor! She's —"

Before he could finish, an otter dropped through the hatch and looked around in awe.

"So _this_ is where you guys go off to all the time," she said. "How did you guys do this?"

Skipper glared at Private. "How did she find out about this?" he asked sternly.

"She kept asking where we go after closing hours! Then she insisted on coming over! I didn't know what to do! I couldn't stop her!" Private explained.

Skipper smacked him on the back of the head, causing him to whimper. "So? You don't lead her down here! You should've stalled!" he scolded.

"Sorry, Skipper! Sorry, sorry!" Private said shamefully.

"Hey! You don't have to be so rude to the little guy," the otter said, going to Private and gently patting his head where Skipper had slapped him.

Skipper looked at her irritably. "Listen, dollface —"

"Marlene," the otter interrupted.

Skipper rolled his eyes impatiently. "Look, Marlene, first you come down here unauthorized, and then you start telling me how to run my unit? I don't think so. Consider your tail outta here," he said, pointing to the hatch.

Marlene put her paws on her hips. "Um, rude. I just wanted to come over here to welcome you guys to the zoo since I obviously can't come over during open hours and you disappear after closing," she said.

"Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but this isn't our first time here. We just took off for a few years and decided we liked it better here. The rest of the story is classified. Now, if you don't mind, we're a bit busy," he said, gesturing toward the hatch.

Marlene narrowed her eyes. "Well, _I'm_ sorry to burst _your_ bubble, but I didn't drag myself over here just to be shot down by some arrogant, disrespectful jerk!" she argued.

Skipper stared at her incredulously. "Well, excuse me for defending my right to privacy!" he shot back.

"If you _have_ been a resident in this zoo before, you would know that you're in New York now! Privacy's got _nothing_ to do with it!" Marlene retorted.

"Please! I value my privacy as much as I imagine you do!" Skipper snapped.

"Guys!"

Skipper and Marlene turned at the sound of Private's voice.

"Stop it! Both of you! Arguing doesn't solve anything. We're going to be neighbors for who-knows-how-long. And _I_ for one think it best if we all just get along," he said sternly.

Skipper replied with "She started it!" at the same time Marlene replied with "He started it!" while pointing to each other. They stared at each other irritably at their simultaneity.

Private rolled his eyes. "Look at you! You're both acting like children. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Apologize to each other now," he ordered.

Skipper looked at him in shock. "Private, it's one thing when you give _me_ orders, but you're ordering me to _apologize_? Why do I have to apologize anyway?" he asked sharply.

Private just looked at him with an irritable grunt.

"Fine, I'm sorry."

Private and Skipper turned to Marlene.

"I shouldn't have intruded. I know one of my pet peeves is an uninvited guest," she said without meeting either of their gazes. "I'll go, all right?"

With that, she turned toward the hatch and left them standing there with their beaks hanging open.

Skipper let out a guilty sigh. "Wait here, Private," he said as he followed her out.

"Marlene," he called as she reached the edge of the habitat's island. She turned at the sound of his voice.

"What?" she asked, facing him with her arms crossed, not meeting his eye.

Skipper narrowed the distance between them. "Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot," he said calmly. "How 'bout we just — start over?"

Marlene sighed and brought herself to make eye contact. "I can agree to that. I don't want there to be hard feelings," she agreed, letting her arms drop to her sides.

Skipper smiled slightly and held out his flipper. "Skipper," he said.

Marlene took his flipper. "Marlene," she replied as they shook.

"So, am I still 'some arrogant, disrespectful jerk'?" Skipper asked with a smile.

Marlene thought for a moment. "Still figuring that out," she answered with a sideways smile. "Do I still 'consider my tail outta here'?"

"Oh, most definitely," Skipper answered without hesitating, causing Marlene's smile to fade. "But," he continued, "I hope you'll come back sometime. Maybe when we're not so busy and can get to know each other."

Marlene smiled again. "Count on it."


	10. School is in Session

" **School is in Session"**

 **April 26, 2014**

"Come on, please?" Marlene begged.

"I don't know, Marlene. I mean, when are you ever going to have the need to drive, anyway?" Skipper asked.

"Well, um, what if I get in some trouble and need a fast getaway?" she suggested.

"Why would you get in trouble for anything?" Skipper pointed out.

Marlene shrugged. "I don't know. Probably for something Julien did," she answered nonchalantly. "Please teach me how to drive?" she begged again while engaging her saddest pouty face.

Skipper sighed. "All right. Hop in," he permitted.

With a celebratory yip, Marlene skipped to the side of the car and sat behind the wheel as Skipper took his place in the passenger seat.

"To turn it on, just —"

"I know that much, Skipper," Marlene said, turning the key in the ignition. "It's just everything afterward."

"Right. Put your foot on the brake, which is the left pedal," Skipper instructed. "Then shift the gear from 'P' for 'park' to 'D' for 'drive' by pulling that stick down."

Marlene did as instructed.

"Good, now gently let off the brake and push on the gas pedal."

Marlene let off the break, but underestimated the sensitivity of the gas pedal and the car jerked forward. She pressed the brake on impulse, causing her and Skipper to slump back into the seat. She pressed her lips together and slowly turned to Skipper.

"Sorry," she said awkwardly.

Skipper shook his head. "It's fine, just try again," he said.

Marlene took a deep breath and pressed the gas gently and the car eased forward.

"All right, so far, so good," Skipper encouraged. "Now try going a bit faster."

The car gradually gained speed and Marlene smiled.

"Hey, I'm doing it," she said proudly.

"So you are, Marlene," Skipper concurred with a smile. "Now try taking a right up here."

Marlene drove to the next intersection and turned the wheel, causing the car to jerk to the right.

"Whoa!" both of them cried as the momentum caused Marlene to pull off the gas and slide into the door, with Skipper sliding into her.

With their faces barely an inch apart, Skipper and Marlene locked eyes for a moment and laughed nervously.

"Sorry," Marlene said breathily.

Skipper fought off a smile. "It's fine," he said before sliding back into the passenger seat. "Let's just continue. Just like with the gas pedal, don't be so rough with the wheel, either. You have to slow down a good bit before you turn, at least until you get a little more advanced."

"All right," Marlene acknowledged as she positioned herself for another go.

After a few more hours of trial and error, Marlene found herself driving the car with ease. Skipper found himself enjoying the ride, no longer worried Marlene would hit a trashcan or spin out of control.

"How am I doing?" Marlene asked.

"You'll kill us both," Skipper said with a humorous smile.

Marlene's jaw dropped and she half-scoffed, half-laughed. "Jerk," she said with a laugh.

"Lady Driver," Skipper shot back, fighting off a grin.

"Hey!" Marlene exclaimed with a smile. "I will turn this thing around!"

"Well, if you're gonna do that, at least have the decency to give me a chance to hold on for dear life," Skipper said, looking over at her.

"Okay, that is it," Marlene laughed, parking the car and turning to punch him in the shoulder.

Skipper grabbed her fist and laughed as she struggled against his strength.

"You — are — such — a — jerk!" Marlene said with a grin.

Skipper just laughed and continued to fight her off. Finally, he pushed her back into the car seat.

"Will you stop, already?" he asked, chuckling.

Both of them gradually stopped laughing and locked eyes. After a few moments, Skipper nervously smiled and backed off as Marlene cleared her throat awkwardly.

"We should — get the car back to the garage," Skipper said.

Marlene slid back into the driver seat. "Heh, yeah. We should — do this again," Marlene suggested, bashfully not meeting his eye.

Skipper kindly smiled and glanced at her. "Absolutely."


	11. Another Side

" **Another Side"**

 **April 26, 2014**

Skipper led a blindfolded Marlene into her cave.

"Skipper, what is this? What's the big surprise?" Marlene urged with anticipation.

"Well, remember a couple of weeks ago when you said you've always wanted to stargaze, but couldn't because of the bright city lights?" Skipper asked, preparing to remove the blindfold.

"Yes, why?" Marlene answered.

Skipper pulled off the blindfold. "That's why," he said with a grin.

Marlene lost her breath in amazement from the scene before. Her habitat had been transformed into a planetarium powered by the small dome in the center, and stars lit up her entire cave.

"Skipper . . . this is _amazing_ ," she said incredulously. She turned back to him. "You did this for me?"

"Of course, Marlene. Happy One-Year Anniversary of our relationship," Skipper said, wrapping his flippers around her waist.

Marlene gently thumped his chest with her fist. "You liar, you told me anniversaries were too sappy for your taste," she said, smiling in awe.

"I may have told a little white lie so I could surprise you," Skipper replied with a grin. "Just don't go talking about this side of me to other people. I do have a reputation to maintain," he said with a laugh. "Shall we?"

Skipper and Marlene laid under the stars as Skipper went over some of the constellations.

"And there's Cancer," Skipper said, pointing to the constellation.

Marlene glanced over at him. "How do you know all of this? You don't strike me as one to study astrology," she inquired.

"Kowalski talks a lot on missions. I mean a _lot_ ," Skipper said with a laugh. "I guess I accidentally paid attention a few times."

Marlene smiled. "Well, this is definitely a different side to you. I like it," she said.

Skipper propped himself up on his elbow where he could look into her eyes.

"Do you?" he asked with a smile. "You have yourself to thank for that. You've changed me in ways I never thought possible."

Marlene's eyes glistened. "Aw, Skipper," she said softly.

Skipper smiled and glanced from her lips to her eyes and slowly leaned forward. Marlene showed no objection as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her, pressing her lips to his beak. Skipper wrapped his flipper around her waist and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss.

Both of them found themselves taking a liking to this new side of Skipper the penguin.


	12. Busted

" **Busted"**

 **June 23, 2014**

After a long day of training, dealing with Julien, and protecting the zoo, Skipper busied himself on a top-secret solo mission. . . .

"You think you're smooth, Hans, but you're not as smooth as me. Especially not like . . . _this_!" Skipper said to the mirror as he held the fake mustache to his beak. He straightened his cowboy hat and shined his sheriff badge. "Now, that's what I call a rugged Belvidere if I do say so myself."

Skipper turned at different angles to the mirror as he admired his complexion and how he looked in his western getup. He turned again and nearly jumped out of his feathers at what he saw; behind him, Marlene was standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame.

With a gasp, he whipped around on his heel, threw the mustache across the room, and knocked his hat backward onto the floor behind him.

"I'm not doing anything!" he said lamely. Then he crossed his flippers to hide the badge.

Marlene chuckled and raised an eyebrow. "Mm-hm," she replied quizzically.

"Heh . . ." Skipper scratched the back of his neck. "Exactly how long have you been standing there?"

Marlene smiled broader. "Long enough," she said with a laugh. "I had no idea you fantasized about being a cowboy," she added, stepping into the HQ.

Skipper cleared his throat and looked away, rocking back and forth on his heels. "Well, I don't know if I'd call it _fantasizing_ ," he said awkwardly.

Marlene coyly tried to meet his eye. Putting on a Southern accent, she said, "Would you call it woolgathering?"

Skipper turned his gaze back to her and narrowed his eyes. "For the record, you 'woolgather' about being a pop star," he pointed out.

"What?" Marlene said incredulously. "How did you know about that?"

"That's classified," Skipper answered, finally cracking a smile, causing Marlene to smile bitterly.

"I don't think I even want to know. And, just so you know, I don't think any less of you because of something like this. If anything, I'm shocked that I've finally discovered a different way you relax that doesn't involve fifty push-ups," Marlene joked. "So, you don't have to be so embarrassed."

"Well, yeah, but I _do_ have a reputation to maintain. The last thing I want is the whole zoo to greet me with —" he took on a Southern accent— "' _Howdy, partner! You headed down to catch some rotten varmints?'_ It's annoying enough when Ringtail greets me with ' _Hello, neighbor!'_ "

"Yeah, well," Marlene started as she stooped over to pick up his hat, "your secret's safe with me," she said, smiling as she placed it on his head. "On one condition."

Skipper rolled his eyes with a laugh. "Oh, fishcakes. What is it, Marlene?" he asked, peering at her from under his hat.

Marlene crossed her arms and beamed slyly. "I want you to say bye to me in Western slang," she said, refraining from a laugh.

Skipper looked away and felt some heat rush into his cheeks. "Fine," he said with a laugh. He took a deep breath to gather some guts and grabbed her by the waist. "Well, little lady," he said in a Southern accent, "I guess it's time we parted ways. I know not when we shall meet again, but I bid you farewell for now, and hope we see each other very soon." He thought for a moment, and then smiled and added, "Y'all come back now, y'hear?"

Marlene laughed and held his gaze. After a few moments of growing intensity, Marlene broke away first.

"I should — go," she said as Skipper released her.

Skipper nodded. "All right. See you later, Marlene," he replied with a warm smile.

Marlene headed for the exit, stopped in the doorway, and turned back. "And, for the record, I agree with what you said earlier," she said with somewhat of a bashful smile.

Skipper furrowed his brow. "What?" he asked.

Marlene gently bit her lip. "About you being a 'rugged Belvidere' in that getup," she answered. Skipper's eyebrows raised and Marlene refrained from laughing before she left him.

Skipper looked back into the mirror and smiled. "Got that right."

— § —

 **Note: "Belvidere" is Southern slang for "a handsome man." "Woolgathering" is Southern slang for "daydreaming" or "imagining" or the like.**


	13. If Only

" **If Only"**

 **July 20, 2014**

"Hey, Marlene. Sorry I'm late," Skipper said, sitting on the tree branch next to Marlene in the park. "I was giving the boys a job to keep them busy and I had to argue with Rico over park surveillance."

Marlene waved a dismissive paw. "It's all right, Skipper, I understand," she said half-heartedly without meeting his eye.

Skipper's expression filled with concern. "Marlene, what's wrong?" he asked, trying to look into her eyes.

Marlene drew in a breath. "Well," she started distantly, "earlier today, this little girl came to my habitat with cotton candy in her hand. She held some out to me and as I ran to get some, Alice pulled her away and started blabbing about the animals being on strict diets and how she needed to learn how to read the signs. She was just — so rude!" she explained, looking crossly at the sky as if Alice was flying around up there on a broomstick.

Skipper waited for her to continue, and when she didn't, he cracked an amused smile. "That's it? Alice does that all the time. You've never taken it this hard before."

"Well, it's just that . . . this time I just . . ." Marlene sighed and closed her eyes. "You're right. It's stupid. I'm . . . sorry I bothered you."

Skipper pressed his beak shut and sighed. "You know you can tell me anything, right?" he said assuringly. "It's no bother, really."

Marlene opened her hesitant eyes and took a deep breath. "The truth? I don't really understand why I suddenly feel this way after all this time, but I just wished I could've told Alice off or something. She has no . . . _subtlety_. Even with children. Someone needs to tell her how it is, and I'd like for it to be me," she explained.

Skipper refrained from an amused laugh. "Marlene, the whole zoo feels that way. Why are you letting it bother you now?" he asked.

"Well, not saying that it _doesn't_ bother me, but that's not really what I'm upset about," Marlene continued, still refusing eye contact.

"Okay," Skipper replied, his curiosity growing, "then what is it?"

Marlene suddenly shifted from uneasiness to guilt, much to Skipper's concern. "Well, I sort of . . . started thinking about a lot of things I can't do because I'm an otter. How I have to sneak to the cotton candy stand and hope no one sees me and tells me to 'go away, you stupid, filthy animal!'" The anger rose in her voice. "You know one time I was called disease-ridden? And then children want to pick you up without your consent! Sometimes I just wonder — I just wonder how things would be different —"

Marlene looked at Skipper in a way that was meant to be a hesitant glance, but she caught his understanding eyes and held contact as he finished for her.

"— if . . . you were human?"

Marlene exhaled and looked down into her paws. "Yeah. If I was human," she repeated softly.

Skipper thought for a moment and smiled. "Well, for starters, you would have never befriended someone as awesome as me," he teased.

Marlene laughed. "Thanks for the help, Skipper," she replied sarcastically.

Skipper chuckled and nudged her. "Anytime, dollface," he replied. "All joking aside, I don't really know what to say, Marlene. I always thought you enjoyed your life as an otter."

"No! I do, I really wouldn't give my life as an otter for anything," she amended. "I guess what I do want is . . . a day. Just to get a taste of what it'd be like. Is that weird?"

Skipper shook his head. "I don't think so. To be honest, I've had my own thoughts on the matter." He leaned in closer to her. "Between you and me, I imagine being a _total_ Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome as a human," he said with a wink.

Marlene reacted with a laugh and a roll of her eyes. "And what does that make me?" she asked, turning back to him.

Skipper thought for a moment. "Ms. Brown-Eyes," he answered softly.

After a moment of awkward silence passed between them, Marlene broke eye contact.

"Well," she said with a sigh, "I guess we'll never know."

Skipper looked up in thought. "I don't know, Marlene. Never say never," he said, going deep in concentration.

Marlene looked at him curiously. "What are you thinking, 'Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome'?"

Skipper smiled. "You'll see."

Two weeks later, after agonizing curiosity when the team swore to secrecy, Marlene got her answer. Skipper led her into the HQ with a blindfold over her eyes.

"Skipper! C'mon! What's this about? You know I hate not being able to see!" Marlene urged as Skipper directed her to a stop by bracing one flipper around her shoulders and tightening his grip on her paw with the other.

"All right, stay still and you'll see," he said, preparing to remove the blindfold. "On three: five — four — three!"

Marlene blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted and found herself in Kowalski's lab, with Kowalski, Rico, and Private standing in a horizontal line in front of her without any space between them, all smiling suspiciously.

"What's going on?" Marlene asked, turning to Skipper.

Skipper nodded toward Kowalski and Marlene turned back to him.

"Marlene, I present to you, Mirrality!" Kowalski announced as they all parted to reveal a small device attached to a set of helmets and a small screen.

"The — what?" Marlene asked in confusion.

"The Mirrality! It's a machine that will pull you into a virtual world that's a mirror of reality, only you can choose to be whatever you want to be," Kowalski explained.

"Even a human," Skipper added with a smile. Marlene caught his eye in shock and reminiscence of their conversation in the park.

"Is it — safe?" she asked no one in particular.

"Of course!" Kowalski assured. "We tested it ourselves this morning! It works flawlessly!"

"I was a unicorn!" Private exclaimed with a smile. Kowalski and Rico rolled their eyes.

Marlene looked at the device and hesitated. "How does it work?"

Kowalski picked up one of the helmets. "You put one of these on and I'll ask you a series of questions: What species do you want to be? Where in the world do you want to be? What would you like the weather to be like? After I input the information, I hit this green button," he said, pointing at one of the buttons on the small device. "I found this little PlayNation Portable in the Lost and Found. Nifty idea, hm?"

Marlene opened her mouth to respond, but instead ended up nodding. Skipper noticed the uncertainty falling over her expression and turned to the others.

"Boys, why don't you give us a minute?" he requested. "Is everything all right, Marlene?" he asked once the team had shut the door behind them.

"I'm fine, I'm just . . . surprised," she said, laughing incredulously.

Skipper smiled. "Well, that was the idea," he said. "Then what's the matter?"

"To be honest, I'm — scared. When I told you about my thoughts on being human, I didn't think I'd actually get the chance. Now that I do, I just — don't know what to expect. What did you think?" she asked, turning toward him.

"Well," Skipper sighed, "I don't know. I was waiting to try it with you."

Marlene smiled warmly. "Aw, you didn't have to do that," she said, although she was grateful that he did. She wouldn't be going into this alone.

Skipper shrugged a shoulder. "I know. But between you and me," he lowered his voice, "I'm a little scared myself."

Marlene fake-gasped. "Skipper admitting he's _scared_? Yep, the universe will implode tomorrow," she teased.

Skipper smiled. "Are you ready or not?"

Marlene thought for a moment and smiled. "Let's do it."

After making themselves comfortable in the chairs, putting on the helmets, and answering the start-up questions, Kowalski prepared to send them into the virtual world.

"All right. To come back out, just close your eyes and say the word 'escape' three times over," he informed them. "Ready?"

When they nodded and relaxed, Kowalski hit the button.

Marlene's world turned black, and a moment later, a cool breeze skipped past her cheeks and a warm sun danced on her skin. When she opened her eyes, she was standing in Central park on a sunny, Spring evening. Hesitantly, she looked down and found not her body, but the body of a slender woman wearing a black, spaghetti-strap tank top, jeans, and flip-flops that revealed her tender, pinkish toes. She held up her paws to find hands in their place — hands with small, thin fingers with pinkish tips like her toes.

She brought them to her face and felt slender cheekbones, and a small, pointed nose wrapped in smooth skin, and round, petite little ears . . . with earlobes!

"What do you think so far?"

She turned at the sound of Skipper's voice to find a tall, well-built man with squared shoulders and a chiseled jaw wearing a form-fitting white tee with camo-print slacks and — of course, how could she not have guessed? — combat boots. His hair was black and close-cropped, revealing perfectly sized round ears and ocean-blue eyes.

Marlene let a laugh escape her throat. "I . . . I . . ." She found herself unable to find the right words. Skipper laughed.

"I know," he said. "Kowalski really outdid himself."

"This is just — amazing!" Marlene laughed.

Skipper smiled. "If you think that's cool, check this out," he said, holding out his hand and closing his eyes, going deep in concentration. A moment later, a hand mirror materialized in his hand out of nowhere. He opened his eyes and held it to her face. Marlene admired the fair-haired woman staring back at her with refined features, curled lashes, and hazelnut eyes.

"Wow . . . I'm . . . I look so . . ." She became speechless.

"Beautiful?" Skipper suggested.

Marlene looked at him past the mirror with a lopsided smile. "I was _going_ to say 'real,'" she corrected.

Skipper lowered the mirror awkwardly. "Right . . . I knew that." He cleared his throat. "Why don't you try? Just hold out your hand and imagine something there, and it'll appear."

Marlene nodded and held out her hand. When she decided what she wanted and concentrated, Skipper smiled warmly upon the appearance of a Monarch butterfly appearing on her palm. When she opened her eyes, the butterfly fluttered from her palm and landed on Skipper's nose. Skipper stared at it for a moment with an eyebrow cocked, and then he shook his head to make it fly away. Marlene giggled and Skipper rolled his eyes playfully.

"Want to go imagine Alice falling into a water trough?" he suggested with a mischievous grin.

Marlene returned the smile. "If only I could do that in real life just by imagining it," she replied.

Skipper offered his arm. "Next on my to-do list," he affirmed.

Marlene laughed and looped her arm through his. "You're a mess," she said as they started toward the virtual zoo.

Skipper put his opposite hand on the hand Marlene had latched to his arm. "Dollface, you have no idea."


	14. Good Game

" **Good Game"**

 **July 30, 2014**

"I believe that's checkmate, Marlene," Skipper announced, moving his piece to trap her king.

Marlene pursed her lips and threw a bishop at him. "Come on, that was the third time in a row," she protested.

Skipper laughed. "Hey, don't hate the player, here!"

Marlene laughed and threw a knight at him. "I don't hate you, it just makes me feel better," she corrected.

"Well," Skipper replied with a smile, "two can play at that game!" He threw a pawn at her and she ducked under the table. "Hey! Come back here, you little coward!" he said, following her under with a laugh. Marlene took the opportunity to jump onto the table, grab a handful of chess pieces, and throw them at him one by one.

"Hey!" Skipper exclaimed as he tried to pull up, but ended up hitting his head on the bottom of the table, reacting with an "Ow!"

Marlene laughed. "Victory is mine!" she cried triumphantly.

Skipper finally managed to pull himself up and he batted the pieces away with his flipper.

"C'mon, Marlene! You ain't ran out of pieces yet?" he said, laughing. Finally, he reached out and knocked the chessboard to the floor, sending the rest of Marlene's ammo with it.

"Hey!" Marlene protested as she threw her last remaining chess piece, which Skipper successfully batted away.

"Don't 'hey' me," Skipper said, crossing his flippers over his chest. "Now, help me clean up your mess, Miss Sore Loser," he ordered with a smile.

"Sorry, I guess I just got carried away," Marlene said, removing herself from the tabletop.

"No kidding," Skipper replied with a laugh as he picked up the chess pieces. "Ah, I understand, don't worry about it. It's perfectly natural to feel frustrated with my superiority."

Marlene laughed. "You're impossible, Skipper," she said.

After a few more minutes of picking up the chess pieces, they set what pieces they had on the table and assessed the set for completion.

"I'm missing the white rook," Marlene told Skipper as he affirmed the completion of the black set.

"Well, it has to be here somewhere," he said as they both started to look around.

Marlene spotted it tucked next to the leg of the table and she stooped over to pick it up when her paw came in contact with a flipper and she looked up in surprise to find Skipper's sapphire eyes looking back into hers.

After a moment of awkward silence, they looked back down to see that they'd both grabbed the rook at the same time. Skipper cleared his throat and Marlene pulled her paw from atop his flipper. Skipper picked up the rook.

"Heh, found it," he said, setting it on the table.

"Me too," Marlene replied with a nervous smile. Unable to hold eye contact with the growing tension in the room, she looked down at the chess pieces on the table.

"Good game, Marlene," Skipper said finally. When Marlene looked back to him, he was smiling warmly. She couldn't stop herself from returning the gesture.

"Good game, Skipper."


	15. I Insist

" **I Insist"**

 **September 27, 2014**

"All right, men. I want a perimeter. Make it fast, make it wide, and make it where you can see everything, but nothing can see you," Skipper ordered the team in Central Park. "On my mar —"

"Hey, aren't you those penguins from the aquarium?" Fred interrupted as he approached them.

Skipper rolled his eyes. "Zoo, actually. What do you want, Fred? We're in the middle of something," he asked impatiently.

"Yeah, I'm in the middle of something too. I think it's called Central Park. Anyway, I was just wondering, is that otter friend of yours still single?" he asked in his slow monotone.

Skipper cocked an eyebrow and exchanged a glance with the team. "Yes, why?" he answered slowly.

"Oh, I was just hoping maybe we could give it another shot. My Granny says I need a lady friend, so I guess I need a lady friend," he explained distantly.

Skipper narrowed his eyes. "I don't think so," he said slowly. "I don't think your Marlene's type."

"Type of what? Squirrel?" Fred asked.

Skipper rolled his eyes. "Yes, Fred. You're not her type of _squirrel_. If you don't mind, we're trying to engage in something very important, not to mention classified," he said, turning back to his team.

"Are you sure she doesn't —"

"I'm sure!" Skipper said, turning back to him. "She's not interested in you and that's that. Now, leave us — and _her_ — alone."

Fred sighed. "Well, it was worth a shot. See you later," he said as he turned and headed back toward his tree.

When Skipper turned back to his men, they were all staring at him with inquisitive expressions.

"What was that all about?" Kowalski asked.

"If you weren't paying attention, I don't feel like explaining it," Skipper said with a roll of his eyes.

"No, I think Kowalski means what was _that_ about?" Private said. "Don't you think Marlene should be the one to decide who's her type or not?"

"Well, it is, but I happen to know that Marlene's made it clear she doesn't want that kind of relationship with Fred. What's your point?" Skipper asked impatiently.

"You just seemed very determined to get him to stay away from Marlene. Don't you think you were rather firm?" Kowalski suggested.

"No, I don't. If you're not firm with someone like Fred, you'll never get your point across," Skipper insisted. "Now, I believe I asked for a perimeter."

The team exchanged a glance, and with a smile, they started fanning out.

"Hey, why are you three smiling? This is not an amusing exercise! I order you three to frown or you'll be doing laps until you drop!" he called as they parted ways, ignoring him. Skipper folded his flippers over his chest. "Sure showed them."


	16. Nothing to be Afraid of

" **Nothing to be Afraid of"**

 **November 1, 2014**

"Come on, Skipper!" Marlene urged, pulling him toward the Halloween Haunted House in Central Park. "It'll be awesome!"

"It'll be pointless! Haunted Houses are so overrated!" Skipper said as he tried to resist Marlene pulling on his flipper.

Marlene stopped and turned toward him. "What, are you afraid?" she challenged.

"No, I just don't want to waste my time wandering through a supposedly 'scary' house," Skipper answered.

"Come on, I've been anticipating this ever since they started advertising it. I've never been in a Haunted House before. I don't want to go in alone on my first time," she begged.

"Marlene, surely you're not afraid to go in alone," Skipper said.

Marlene shifted. "Well, I don't know. Maybe it will be lame. I'd just be more comfortable with a trusted friend at my side," she admitted.

Skipper sighed and considered. "All right. Let's go."

Skipper looped his flipper in her arm and led her through the bushes so they could sneak into the Haunted House undetected by the humans. It was dark, with an eerie green glow against the off-white walls. They turned a corner and a coffin lit up against one wall, with a fake vampire coming out and baring his fangs. Skipper and Marlene looked at each other and laughed, barely fazed by the clichéd antic.

"Wow, that was just terrible. What's next, a fake spider falling from the ceiling?" Skipper said as they moved forward.

They continued down the corridor until they started to come upon another corner. They slowly stepped around, waiting for something to jump out at them, but so far, there was nothing but another hallway with fake spider webs hanging from the ceiling.

"Come on," Skipper said, tugging on her arm.

They walked a few more steps when a floorboard erupted open out of nowhere. Without seeing it coming, Skipper instinctively grabbed Marlene as she let out a gasp of surprise and turned his back on the trap. After a few moments, they opened their eyes and Marlene found herself burying her face into Skipper's chest feathers. She looked up at him as he met her eye, and then they looked back to see a fake goblin descend back into the floorboards with the floor closing shut on top of him. Skipper and Marlene looked at each other again and laughed.

"Okay, that was a new one," Skipper said as he realized he was still holding her and awkwardly released her.

"Yeah," Marlene said with a nervous laugh. "Thanks for . . . protecting me, I guess."

"Heh, I guess instinct took over for a second there," Skipper said as he walked back a few steps and pressed his feet into the ground in a few places.

"What are you doing?" Marlene asked just as Skipper found the right place and the goblin sprang up through the floorboards again.

"There it is. Well played, humans," Skipper said, waiting for it to go down and taking Marlene's arm again.

"You weren't really scared, were you?" Marlene asked as they started down the corridor again.

"Nah," Skipper said without looking at her. "Just a little _too_ quick on my feet."

Marlene smiled. "Well, I guess it's safe to say that there really is nothing to be afraid of in this Haunted House if you're here to protect me."

Skipper gripped her arm a little firmer. "Correction: You have nothing to be afraid of at all because I'll always protect you."


	17. Tuckered Out

" **Tuckered Out"**

 **November 1, 2014**

Marlene yawned. "Thanks for taking me to that Enrique Guitaro concert, guys," she said to the penguins as they drove her home. "It went a lot better than last time. And going backstage? That was"—she yawned again as if she hadn't slept in days—"really awesome," she finished.

Skipper chuckled from his place to the right of her. "I don't think staying up all the way to one in the morning is a good idea for you."

Marlene shook her head. "No, no, I'm awake." She fought off another yawn and rubbed her eyes. "Tack as a sharp."

Skipper chuckled again and exchanged a look with Private, who was on the other side of Marlene.

"Might want to go a little faster, Rico," Skipper requested.

Rico nodded. "Checkadoodle!" he said as he stepped a little harder on the gas.

A few minutes later, Kowalski looked in the rear-view mirror and smiled.

"Aw, she's asleep," he said.

Skipper looked at Marlene, whose head had rolled back on the headrest with her eyes closed. Skipper smiled.

"Yep. I'd bet nothing will wake her up till at least noon," Skipper said. Then Rico took a hard left and Marlene's head landed on his shoulder. Skipper glanced at his team, who hadn't noticed yet.

He slowly pulled his flipper free and attempted to position her back to the center of the seat, but Marlene wrapped her arm around his stomach and snuggled her head into his chest with a tired moan, catching Private's attention.

He smiled and held back a snigger. "Well," he said, looking at Marlene, and then at the back of the driver's seat in front of him, "I didn't know you were so snuggable."

Skipper rolled his eyes and decided to let it go, resting his flipper on Marlene's shoulders. "If anyone hears about this, you are _so_ going on probation," he said, although they knew he didn't really mean it.

Kowalski snickered. "Getting comfy, I see," he teased.

Skipper kicked his seat. "Shut up, she's trying to sleep," he whispered harshly, holding back a smile.

Nobody said anything for the rest of the ride back to the zoo. They stopped by Marlene's habitat, and Skipper carried her to her bed and covered her up. She barely stirred the entire time.

Looking back to be sure he was alone, Skipper leaned in and whispered, "Sweet dreams, Marlene," in her ear, to which Marlene curled into herself as if to say, "Just try and stop me."

Skipper smiled and went back out to the car, where his men waited for him with ridiculous smiles on their faces. He pretended not to notice and got back in the car.

"She all tucked in?" Private asked with half a snigger.

Skipper smiled. "For lack of better words, yes. Let's get to HQ and get some shut-eye."


	18. Really Together

" **Really Together"**

 **November 18, 2014**

Skipper and Marlene smiled as they finished decorating the small Christmas tree in her habitat. Once they'd finished wrapping thin garlands and LED lights around it and hanging tiny hand-made ornaments, they stood back and admired their work.

"Well," Skipper said, taking her by the waist from the side, "I think it turned out pretty well."

Marlene smiled and rested her paw on his chest. "I think so too. I had a good time decorating it with you."

Skipper looked back to the tree. "You too, Marlene," he replied. "Let's turn off the lights and see how well the LEDs do," he said, releasing her and crossing the room. Marlene prepared to plug up the Christmas tree lights. "Ready?"

Marlene nodded and Skipper turned off the lights as Marlene pushed the plug into the wall. The tree glimmered with soft golden, red, green, blue, white, and lavender light. Marlene and Skipper returned to the front of the tree, smiling at its beauty.

"If only I had an angel to put on top," Marlene sighed.

Skipper thought for a moment and turned to her. "I don't know. I don't think you'd find it comfortable up there," he said with a smile. She met his eye for a moment and then looked away, her cheeks burning. Skipper took her by the waist again. "Come on, you have to admit you totally walked into that one."

Marlene awkwardly fiddled with his chest feathers, not meeting his eye. "I hate how you know just how to make me bashful," she said quietly.

Skipper smiled humorously and pulled her closer so her ear was just next to his beak. "But you also kind of like it, right?" he said softly.

Marlene bit her lip and nuzzled into his neck. "Maybe a little," she replied in a whisper.

Skipper looked at the back of her head out of the corner of his eye with a smile. "I guess this would make our first Christmas together. _Really_ together."

Marlene rested herself against him. "Yep. To think, just last year, we wouldn't have believed our relationship would come this far."

Skipper pulled away so he could look into her eyes. "And if we would've never had that argument, we wouldn't have fully realized how much we care about each other."

Marlene smiled and Skipper pressed his forehead to hers.

"Can I at least have a star to put on the tree?" Marlene asked.

Skipper smiled suavely. "I wouldn't dare take the stars out of your beautiful eyes."

Marlene pressed her lips together as more heat rushed into her cheeks and she shoved him, but Skipper tightened his grip on her waist.

"Come on, you walked into that one too," he said with a laugh.

Marlene looked down smiling, without giving an answer. Skipper looked at the tree.

"I almost forgot," he said, releasing her waist. "Kowalski innovated the lights. Observe."

Skipper double-clapped his flippers together and the tree began to gently flicker the soft lights at the tempo of a calm snowfall. He turned to Marlene, who was smiling at the tree with the lights dancing in her eyes and off her fur. She turned to him and he slipped his flippers around her waist again with a warm smile.

He glanced at her lips and slowly leaned closer until his beak just grazed them. Marlene wrapped her arms around his neck invitingly and Skipper held her tighter as they slowly kissed in the dancing Christmas tree lights.


	19. The Other Man That Doesn't Exist Yet

" **The Other Man That Doesn't Exist Yet"**

 **December 11, 2014**

Skipper stood outside Marlene's habitat. Earlier that day, the team had snuck into Alice's office to order some sweet elusive Polish sauerkraut, and Alice had left the sign-up list for the Breeding Program on her computer. Marlene's name was on it. From the moment he saw it, his heart fluttered. He wasn't quite sure why. It was just the thought of Marlene feeling as if she needed someone. Why that would bother him was another mystery. He took a deep breath and entered.

"Hey, Skipper! What's up?" Marlene said as he approached her.

"Nothing much. I was just dropping by to check on you. Is everything okay?" he asked with his heart rate beginning to accelerate.

Marlene smiled humorously. "Um, of course. Why would anything be wrong? Did something happen?"

"Oh, no, nothing happened," Skipper answered. "I was just wondering . . . have you been — um, lonely?"

Marlene's smile faded. "Excuse me?"

Skipper spread his flippers. "I'm sorry, that was a really bad question to start with. I just . . . Look, the truth is, I accidentally saw your name signed up on the Breeding Program," he admitted. "I was just worried about why you suddenly felt like you needed somebody."

Marlene crossed her arms and became defensive. "Well, I'm not sure that's any of your business," she said.

Skipper shifted on his feet awkwardly. "It's not. I was just worried."

Marlene sighed and dropped her arms. "Well, don't worry about me. I just — feel like I'm ready to get out there. I don't know. I heard about the Breeding Program starting up again and I thought, 'Why not?' It's not like I have anything to lose. And it's not like I'm getting any younger," she said with an irritated roll of her eyes.

Skipper hesitated. "It doesn't bother you that they'll be setting you up with complete strangers?"

Marlene cocked an eyebrow. "Isn't that the whole idea of dating?" she pointed out.

Skipper folded his flippers. "Well, I was just thinking that it might be a little more comfortable to start things off with people you already know," he replied.

Marlene laughed melodramatically. "Like who? I already tried Fred. Julien and Maurice aren't exactly my type, and it's obvious why I wouldn't go for Mort. I can't see anything happening with me and Mason or Phil. Leonard's scared of me, anyway. And all the other animals are either too small or too big," she explained. A thought came to her and she hesitated. "Unless . . . one of _you_ guys wants to . . . you know," she suggested with an inquisitive stare.

Skipper remained silent for a moment. "No. I just don't want to see you get hurt."

Marlene looked at the ground and sighed. "I appreciate that, Skipper," she said, looking at him, "but I'm a grown woman. I can take care of myself. I promise."

Skipper looked away. "Fine." His voice suddenly rose threateningly. "But if any of them hurt you, I'll —" He caught Marlene's wide eyes and took a deep breath. "I hope you find what you're looking for," he said softly. He turned away and started for the exit.

"Skipper," Marlene called. Skipper reluctantly stopped and turned back. "Are you sure there isn't anything you need to tell me?"

Skipper locked eyes with her. "No, Marlene. I'll see you later," he said, heading for the door again.

Marlene watched him leave. Skipper had never acted that way before. She ran out after him.

"Skipper, wait!" she called just as he was about to hop over her wall. He stopped with an irritable roll of his eyes and turned around.

"What is it now, Marlene?" he asked.

"I was just —" Marlene exhaled. "I hope this doesn't change the way you think about me."

Skipper narrowed his eyes quizzically. "How do you think I think about you?"

Marlene looked down. "Um," she started, completely unsure of how to respond. "I don't know. I just don't want you to think I'm — desperate," she said, hugging herself uncomfortably.

Skipper sighed and braced his flippers on her shoulders. "I don't think you're desperate. I think it's —" He took a breath. "I think it's high-time in your life that you find a — mate," he said, almost forcing out that last word. "Just don't let any of them take advantage of you, all right?"

"I won't, Skipper," Marlene assured him. "I'll take care of myself. To be honest, I'm a little scared," she said, looking down. "This is new to me, the whole 'getting out there' thing. I want to be ready, but . . ." Her voice trailed.

Skipper dropped his flippers. "But you're afraid you might not be seeing what's already right in front of you?" he suggested quietly.

Marlene looked at him — _really_ looked at him. "Yeah. Something like that," she admitted.

Skipper smiled. "Well, Marlene, I don't know a lot about what goes on in your mind most of the time, but I do know your heart's always one hundred percent. I think if you listen to it, it'll lead you in the right direction," he reassured her.

Marlene smiled back. "You think so?"

Skipper saluted. "I know so."


	20. Confessions

" **Confessions"**

 **January 1, 2015**

Skipper paced back and forth just outside Marlene's habitat. It was Friday, at almost eight o'clock at night. He promised he would tell her what had really happened that day Blowhole had used his Serum on her, but he didn't really realize what exactly he'd have to put into words. No matter how he arranged the confession in his mind, he couldn't figure out how to say it without things getting too awkward. More importantly, he couldn't figure out _how to say it_.

Finally, it was coming up on the hour and Skipper wasn't planning on being late, especially for their first date. That still seemed a weird thought to him — _their first date_. After all this time knowing her, all this time wanting her, and he now had the opportunity to have her. The thought still scared him. Enemies always use who you love most against you.

Marlene looked at the clock. It was just about eight, the hour which Skipper said he'd be here. She had a table with two cinder blocks to serve as chairs set up in the center of her cave, and had a small bouquet of fish sitting on the floor where they could reach them. Where was he? She started wondering if he chickened out on her. He did seem rather reluctant when he confessed. What if he was having second thoughts?

Before she could have any more doubts, she heard footsteps outside her cave and she quickly smoothed her fur over. Skipper appeared at the entrance of her cave holding a plate of oysters on half-shells in one flipper and a daisy in the other. He looked a bit uneasy, but Marlene understood why. They'd known each other for a long time. The idea of finally going on their first date was . . . strange. But a good strange.

"Hey," he said quietly with a small smile.

Marlene laced her fingers behind her back. "Hey," she said with a nervous smile. "Come on in."

Skipper stepped forward and held out the oysters and daisy. "I, uh, brought these for you. To be honest, I'm not sure what one brings to a lady on the first date, but, uh, I thought you might — like these?" he said awkwardly.

Marlene smiled bashfully and accepted the items. "They're perfect, Skipper. Thank you," she said, setting the oysters in the middle of the table and putting the daisy in the vase on the shelf by her bed.

"So," Marlene started, "shall we sit?" she asked, gesturing to the table.

"Sure," Skipper said, stepping toward the table.

He was about to sit when a thought occurred to him and he walked to the opposite side — although a bit quicker than he'd intended — and pulled the cinder block out for Marlene. Marlene wrapped her arms around herself coyly and sat as Skipper took his seat across from her.

For a moment, neither of them said anything and stared down at the table, trying to figure out how to break the ice.

"So . . ." Skipper started, raising his brow, "you look nice," he said finally, looking at her.

Marlene cocked an eyebrow. "Thanks, uh, this is how I always look, though," she replied with a nervous smile.

Skipper cleared his throat. "Right," he said, looking down again.

There was another moment of silence before both of them started to say something at the same time. They laughed.

"You first," Marlene said, laughing nervously.

"No, I insist you go first," Skipper replied.

Marlene smiled and realized her cheeks were burning. She hoped her fur was hiding it. "Well," she started softly, "you said you'd tell me what really snapped me out of"—she paused and looked at him—"out of that trance. How — did I snap out of it?"

Skipper locked eyes with her and swallowed, his smile fading. He felt his heart start to pound. "Well," he said, folding his flippers on the table, and then unfolding them, "I'm not sure how to say it, to be honest," he said with a nervous laugh.

Marlene looked surprised. She leaned forward on the table as her curiosity grew even more. "Come on, Skipper. How bad could it be?"

Skipper shifted in his seat. "Well, it's not _bad_ , really," he said without making eye contact. "It's just —" He stopped short, failing to find the right word to use.

"Well, why don't you start from the beginning and just work up to it," Marlene suggested.

Skipper took a deep breath and nodded. "All right," he said, exhaling. "You came into the room and Blowhole ordered you to kill me," he started, looking from her to the table. "You started to — attack me, and I tried to fight you off without hurting you. I —"

"But," Marlene interrupted, her face contorting in confusion, "I was attacking you. I wouldn't have held anything against you for defending yourself," she said, looking at him.

Skipper locked eyes with her. "I could never hurt you," he replied softly.

Marlene held eye contact, unable to find a response.

"Anyway," Skipper said, looking down, "I tried to bring you back by telling you things we've done in the past. I thought maybe I could get you to remember me. But, it unfortunately didn't work," he said, looking at the floor to the left.

"So," Marlene said, "what happened, then?"

Skipper looked at her again. "You really don't remember?" he asked slowly.

Marlene thought really hard. Then she shook her head. "Every time I try, I see small bits and pieces, but never get further than —" She paused and looked at him as she realized she hadn't disclosed that information to him yet.

"It's all right, Marlene," Skipper said with assuring eyes.

Marlene bit her lip. "I never get further than — you telling me you love me," she admitted.

Skipper remained silent for a moment, and then nodded as a thought occurred to him. "So, that's why you came to me this past Wednesday," he concluded.

Marlene pressed her lips together and nodded slowly. "But I keep feeling like there's more to it than just that," she said.

Skipper exhaled. "Well, you're right," he said softly. "When I realized my strategy wasn't working, I didn't know what to do. Then I realized that I was going about it the wrong way. The Serum was controlling your mind, and there was nothing I could do about that. But . . . it wasn't controlling your heart," he explained, looking at her to assess her reaction. She seemed to start to understand what he was getting at. He took a deep breath and his heart rate accelerated.

"So, I caught you off guard and I — took you by the waist so I could look into your eyes," he started, looking down. "I — did tell you that I love you, like you remember," he said. He looked at her again. She was leaning forward, waiting for him to continue. He looked down again. "Then I —" He paused, trying to get the words to form. "I —" he tried again. He closed his beak and exhaled.

"Skipper, it's okay, you can tell me," Marlene urged.

Skipper locked eyes with her. "I know, I'm sorry, it's just — a little hard for me to say the words," he said, scratching the back of his neck.

Marlene laughed slightly. "Oh, come on, Skipper. How hard can it be? It's not like you're trying to say you — I don't know, kissed me or something," she said, laughing at the possibility. Skipper pressed his beak shut and looked down at the floor for a moment, and then locked eyes with her again. Even without saying anything, Marlene's smile faded and she rose her brow in realization. "Oh," she said, looking away, feeling the heat rush into her cheeks again.

For a couple minutes, neither of them said anything.

"So . . . how — was it?" Marlene asked awkwardly.

Skipper looked at her blankly, and then looked away and nodded slowly. "I-It was good," he said, shifting in his seat.

Marlene bit her lip. "Can I ask you something, Skipper?" she asked.

Skipper finally looked at her. "Of course, go ahead," he said, happy to change the subject.

"How long have you — felt this way about me?" she asked, pulling her arms to herself.

Skipper thought for a minute. "Honestly?" he said, locking eyes with her. "I'm not sure. When I first met you — well, I'll be honest," he said with a smile, "I did have my suspicions on if you were a spy or not," he admitted, causing Marlene to smile humorously, "especially with your frequent visits. But, oddly, I gradually became more comfortable around you. I liked the way you smiled — the way you laughed. For a while, I didn't _fully_ realize I'd fallen in love with you. I think I realized it when . . ." His voice trailed off as he went into thought. He chuckled.

"What?" Marlene asked.

"I think I started to accept my feelings for you when Kowalski made that silly Love-U-Later and said he wanted to use you as a test subject," he said with a humorous smile. "To be honest, I was . . ." He cleared his throat. "I was both relieved and a bit disappointed when it didn't choose me," he admitted without meeting her eye.

Marlene smiled bashfully and looked down. Skipper looked at her and smiled.

"All right, your turn," Skipper urged. "I'm not the only one answering the questions, here."

Marlene looked up at him and rested her elbows on the table. "Fair enough. Actually, I didn't really realize until this past Wednesday. When I had that hazy memory of you telling me you love me, I thought my mind was playing some kind of trick on me. But I found myself needing to know for sure. And to be honest, I was — kind of hoping it was true. I'd always known there was something about you that I couldn't shake, but the idea that you would have feelings for me, it"—she paused and shook her head disbelievingly—"it made me realize that I actually liked the idea of us together," she finished softly.

Skipper and Marlene locked eyes for a moment, but had to look away as the intensity grew.

"You know," Marlene started, breaking the silence, "what you said about hiding your feelings to protect me, that's the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me," she said, looking at him with longing eyes.

Skipper smiled warmly at her. Then it faded. "I have to ask you something, Marlene. Are you sure you know what you're getting into here? I have a duty, Marlene. I protect this zoo, New York, and the world from threats that are usually oblivious to humans. I may not always be here when you want me to be," he said.

Marlene, much to Skipper's confusion, just smiled. "That's just it, Skipper. You protecting the world? That's — what I love most about you," she said. Skipper just looked back into her assuring eyes, trying to figure out how to respond. "I know exactly what I'm getting into, Skipper. What you do is noble. While the idea of you not always being here disappoints me a little, and the idea of you putting yourself in life-threatening situations terrifies me, you being one of those brave enough to put others above themselves? I must admit, that's your — well, your most attractive quality," Marlene said, biting her lip.

Skipper felt the area around his ear-holes burn. He shook his head in disbelief. "I — never knew you would've felt that way," he said slowly.

Marlene smiled. "Then I guess we can thank Dr. Blowhole for bringing us together," she said, shrugging a shoulder.

Skipper scowled a little. "Even if it brought us together, if I could go back and stop him from using you for his evil schemes, I would," he said, slightly growling. He looked at Marlene, who was frowning. "I'm sorry," he said, forcing himself to calm down. "It's just that if you would've landed any other way, I could've lost you. Never to have this moment with you, see your smile, hear your voice. You have no idea how that makes me feel."

Marlene searched for a response. "Skipper, I don't know what to say. You would sacrifice _this_ just so he wouldn't get to me?" she asked incredulously.

Skipper locked eyes with her for a moment. "You have no idea what I would sacrifice for you," he said quietly.

There was another silence as Marlene maintained eye contact with her mouth hanging open, trying to get it to form words.

"Skipper!"

The two of them turned their heads as Kowalski ran into Marlene's cave.

"There's —" He stopped short as he took in the scene before him. As much as he wanted to ask, he realized his situation was more important and shook his head to bring himself back. "There's a clog in the pipe leading to our pool and water pressure is building behind it. We have to fix it _now_ before it bursts."

Skipper looked at Marlene, who smiled in understanding.

"Go on, it's okay," she said, flicking her head toward her cave entrance.

Skipper sighed and gave her an apologetic look and stood up. He walked a couple of steps and came to a stop.

"Can you fix it, Kowalski?" he asked.

Kowalski blinked. "Well, of course. But . . . you usually give me authorization for any options I give," he answered.

Skipper stood straighter. "Well, you have my authorization. Whatever you see needs to be done, do it immediately," he said.

Kowalski shook his head in confusion. "Sir, are you saying you're not coming with me?" he asked.

Skipper glanced back at Marlene, who'd stood up and was watching with a bashful smile. He turned back to Kowalski.

"Affirmative. You have my authorization to take command of this mission as you see fit. I have confidence in you. Leave the report on the table. I'll get to it when I return," Skipper said.

Kowalski wanted to ask more questions, but realized he was running short on time. "A-All right. Yes, sir," he said, with a hesitant salute. Skipper saluted back and Kowalski turned and left, giving each of them a curious look before doing so.

Skipper turned back to Marlene, who stepped up to him. "I can't believe you just did that," she said, smiling.

Skipper chuckled. "Well, I figure a first date should only be ended early for something much more serious than that," he said.

Marlene bit her lip and looked down. Then she looked back to Skipper.

"What?" Skipper asked curiously.

Marlene shrugged a little as her heart started beating faster. "I was just — thinking about what you said earlier about what happened in that fight. Just to jog my memory, you said you took me by the waist?" she asked a little coyly.

Skipper cleared his throat awkwardly. "That's correct, Marlene," he said softly with a smile.

Marlene stepped closer to him. "Like this?" she said, taking his flippers and pulling them around her waist. Skipper's eyes widened and darted from Marlene to pretty much everywhere else and his heart accelerated.

"Uh," he said, deeply clearing his throat, "y-yeah. I-I guess that's about right, ahem!" he said without meeting her eye.

Marlene took a finger and pushed down on Skipper's beak to force him into eye contact.

"Then you said, what?" she asked, biting her lip again.

Skipper felt his heart skip a beat. He opened up his beak and had to force himself to say it — not because it wasn't true, but because he knew what came afterward. "I love you, Marlene," he said softly.

Marlene rested her paws on his shoulders. "And then what did you do?" she asked softly.

"I . . ." Skipper swallowed. "I kissed you," he answered weakly, trying not to look at her lips.

Marlene looked at his beak for a moment, and then back into his eyes. "Like this?" she said, slowly pulling him forward. He didn't object. He looked from her lips to her eyes until she gently touched her lips to his beak and their eyes closed.

Skipper felt a shiver run down his spine and Marlene felt her fur stand on end. Skipper gripped her waist tighter and Marlene wrapped her arms around Skipper's neck. Skipper stroked her fur and Marlene gently dug her claws into the back of his neck.

After a few moments of kissing, Skipper reluctantly started to pull away and they looked into each other's eyes, neither saying a word.

Finally, Skipper smiled. "The answer is no. This one was so much better."

— § —

 **Note: Sorry for the long wait for this chapter! I've been so busy the past five days, you have no idea. Anyway, in case you didn't catch on, this is a sequel to "I Remember," which was a sequel to "Skipper's Curse." I had a lot of fun writing this one, and it is my personal favorite of all the shorts. I hope you enjoyed the LAST installment of "Operation: Skilene." Mission accomplished! Thanks for reading, and please review!**

 **Once again, thank you to SierraTangoEcho for the drawing she was able to complete. Unfortunately, she did not have the time to draw something for every scene, but I appreciate her effort and love what she came up with. Be sure to check out all her other wonderful work! To see the drawing for this scene, find it here (remove spaces and dashes in c-o-m):** **sierratangoecho. deviantart. c-o-m /art/Finally-on-a-Date-525799684**


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